Men kill granny for P45, 000 – Mmegi

Name of story: Men kill granny for P45, 000

Name of journalist: Bame Piet

Name of publication: Mmegi

Date: 14 June 2011

Country: Botswana

Theme: Crime

Skills: Fairness

Genre: News

GEM classification: Gender aware

Description:

The  trial of seven men accused of killing a Rasesa woman resumed before Justice Zibani Makhwade yesterday with four witnesses testifying, Obakeng Leagajang, Patrick Kgwefane, Rapula Molemane, Victor Leshage, Chona Malinda, Bashi Malinda, and Akanyang Malinda are charged with a single count of murder, armed robbery, and two counts of attempted murder.

It is alleged that the seven men used violence on Polena Malinda (grandmother to some of the accused persons), hitting her with a walking stick, before robbing her of P45, 000. In the process, the seven men allegedly attempted to kill Kgosietsile Malinda and Mmadikala Malinda who were in the company of Polena. The incident occured near Senamane lands in Kgatleng District on December 8, 2008.

The state witnesses told the court that the old woman and he son, Kgosietsile had just received payment from Kemmonye Segale for the sale of a ploughing field, Segale told the court that after they followed all the procedures to transfer the field into his names, he made a P43, 000 cash payment to the family in Gaborone, before they went back to Rasesa.”Whilst I was still waiting in the car to transport the three to the lands, I overheard an argument between one of the accused persons – Akanyang – and Kgosietsile in which the former was demanding to be compesated the money he used to buy chibuku and cigarettes for the latter. I heard Akanyang say he would follow Kgosietsile to the lands and definitely get his money,” he told the court.